May 12, 2009

Adult Stem Cell and Insulin-Free

DiabetesHealth is reporting:

Adult Stem Cell Implants Make Newly Diagnosed Type 1s Insulin-Free
May 12, 2009
After American and Brazilian researchers implanted 23 newly diagnosed type 1 patients with their own adult stem cells, 12 of the patients became insulin-free for periods lasting from 14 to 52 months (the mean was 31 months).


So you read the article and there is bit:

Although the results of the transplantation experiment are promising, the procedure itself is radical. Patients must have their immune systems suppressed by powerful drugs before receiving the stem cells. Significant percentages of the study's 23 patients experienced troubling side effects:

Two patients (8.7 percent of the group) developed pneumonia while undergoing immunosuppression therapy.
Nine patients (39 percent) developed low sperm counts after exposure to one immunosuppressant drug.


What I don't get is why can't the diabetes establishment (ADA JDRF to name two) get as much enthusiasm for other approaches (Faustman perhaps) as stem cells?

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